Inspiring Ideas and Ways to Overcome Writer's Block

What is Writer's Block?

This is a condition, primarily associated with writing as a career or profession, in which the author loses the ability to produce new work.

The intensity can vary, being trivial and temporarily difficult, or in extreme cases writers become so "blocked" they have been unable to work for years on end, and even abandoned their careers.

American poet William Stafford states:

"There is no such thing as writer's block for writers whose standards are low enough."

Basically this means not to take yourself or your subject too seriously, every idea is worth a little consideration.

Sometimes we think that a poem, article or story will be the BEST one ever written, and that we are going to formulate some of the most intelligent statements in history.

But often times the best ideas come when we aren't actively over-thinking.

All of our ideas and thoughts should be considered worthy of writing, even if it stays written in a small notepad and nothing becomes of it.

Writers tend to get too focused on the content of their work, and not the overall benefits and entertainment it can provide.

Source

Causes

There are quite a few reasons a writer can get blocked in the middle of a project.

They can run out of inspiration, lose creativity, and in some cases completely lose direction.

They can get distracted or feel disjointed from their work, causing them to lose focus.

Many events in life can cause a writer to lose focus, such as physical or mental illness, financial pressures, the end of a relationship, or other life stresses.

Sit down and examine the reasons WHY you might have writer's block.

Talk to another author or writer, making it a point to hear of times when they overcame their mental blocks.

Try starting in the middle of your project, instead of sitting and waiting on how to begin, just jump in and worry about the beginning and ending later. It will come to you.

Working on more than one project at a time will give your brain a much needed break. Don't be so hard on yourself, now is the time to just write all your ideas and thoughts out. There will be a time to be critical of your work later - it's called editing!

Ideas

Every writer has a different way of dealing with creative blocks, but here are some basic ideas to overcome it.

Look

Pay attention and look at what people around you are interested in. What are some of the activities or hobbies that are most popular? It's easy to get ideas from just watching people, the mannerisms they display, and the way they interact with others. Open your eyes and look around. What do you see? It might be anything big or small, that can spark a memory or a thought process.

Listen

Listen to the conversations people are having, and the opinions they are sharing. Are they angry or upset about a certain subject? Maybe something is happening nationally, or regionally that causes a lot of discussions. Just open your ears, and you will hear many different topics.

Interact

Interact with others by asking questions, and investigate what they are thinking. Talk about your ideas and thoughts with a friend or family member, or get a recorder (even better) and play back to yourself. Jot down any ideas, subject matters and creative thoughts while you are receiving feedback.

Remember

Remember experiences you have had, how they made you feel, how they can make others feel. Childhood experiences are some of the moments when you used your imagination the most. Think back on any summer camp trips you took, learning how to fish, or trying to ride a bike, getting your license for the first time. All those funny and weird things we experience while growing up, make great topics.

Comments 12 comments

All sound advice. I am fortunate in that I do not suffer writer's block with any regularity or frequency. You get a vote-up and useful from me for those who could really benefit from reading this.

applecsmith 5 years ago from Dallas, Texas Author

Thank you for the comment Phil. I agree with you, in that I don't get writer's block much at all. I tend to have too many ideas floating around at once. But hopefully this hub helps others who do get blocked at times.

Robin71 5 years ago

This is not only awesome but very helpful to me as I am a fiction writer in the throws of writer's block. Thank you applecsmith, thank you.

applecsmith 5 years ago from Dallas, Texas Author

Very glad to be of help. Good Luck in your future works! Thanks for the comment.

rex michaels 5 years ago

Excellent, talk it out then write it out. Very good tips, tips I needed. Thanks for sharing!

Simone Smith 5 years ago from San Francisco

These things work for me! Thanks for sharing the helpful tips, applecsmith!

applecsmith 5 years ago from Dallas, Texas Author

I'm happy to offer any tips and advice that's helpful. Thanks for the comment rex michaels.

applecsmith 5 years ago from Dallas, Texas Author

Thank you Simone, I'm happy to share any tips that are useful. :)

Sunshine625 5 years ago from Orlando, FL

Excellent tips!!! Thanks for sharing!! UP/AWESOME/TWEET

AliciaC 5 years ago from British Columbia, Canada

Thanks for a helpful hub with useful suggestions and ideas, applecsmith.